The random musings of an Englishman on just about anything really. Not very helpful this is it? Ah well! Tough I don't want to cramp my style...

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

The Sun lashes Labour

The Sun has today published the story of an email sent from the Labour Communications Unit to a member of the public claiming that people who wave the English flag are racists and that England, not Britain, has a bad history.

Terry White, probably didn't realise he was writing to a Campaign for an English Parliament member. No doubt he would have tried to conceal the contempt in which Labour holds the English people if he had.

The full story, which is on page 2 of today's Sun, is as follows:

Labour attack on English

By MICHAEL LEA

A LABOUR Party official caused outrage last night after suggesting sports fans who wave the England flag are racist.The outburst came from Terry White, of Labour’s Communications Unit, in an email to a member of the public.

It followed a row last week when ex-minister Gisela Stuart claimed the rise of Englishness is a threat to democracy. German-born Ms Stuart said she is concerned people claim to be English rather than British.

The man who complained, named only as Allan Murray, wrote: “Why is it that as a party you dislike the English so much? I am fed up to the back teeth with Labour’s endless dumbing down of the English. The Labour Party are trying to wipe England off the UK map.”

Mr White, who is 65 and near retirement, wrote back: “England, as opposed to Britain, has an unfortunate history around the world and within the British Isles and please do not say that it is all past.

“It is a fact that the right and extreme right in Britain cloak themselves in the English flag, the cross of St George and claim to be the true representatives of the English.

“Wherever there is hooligan behaviour, usually linked to extreme right-wing political groups eg, at football matches here and abroad, it is the flag of St George that is displayed.”

Millions of flag-wavers will be outraged by the attack on fans.

After England’s rugby World Cup triumph a million supporters packed the streets of London to cheer their heroes home many draped in the St George’s flag. There were similar scenes after the England cricket team trounced the Aussies.

“People will be very angry to hear what Labour thinks of them and their country.”

UKIP leader Roger Knapman said: “This is an insult to our own people. To suggest that England, but not Britain, has ‘an unfortunate history’, is sheer ignorance. If Labour is seeking to disown the Empire, then it should be told that it was the British, not English, Empire.”

A Labour spokesman said: “We cannot condone these comments and they in no way represent the views of the Party. We apologise unreservedly for any offence caused.”